Colonization of the New Continents
Starting on the 9th century before the Plague, many of the Longerathian and Erasian empires were involved in colonization schemes on the New Continents (Nuarmia, Melania, Delgamia, Fiarria and Maritimia). The period is divided into a number of different colonization waves. First wave (815 BP - 481 BP): Cabotenian and Stervian monopolies * After countless failed previous attempts by other explorers, Cabotenian navigators Styrbjörn Eriksson and Alf-Björn Eriksson succeed on crossing the Cislendian Ocean. Thanks to an island-hopping path from Smalik to the Eastern Islands, then west to Lexicon Islands and, later, sailing northwards, their fleet reached Islandia on 815 BP. * The Lexicons and Islandia are settled by colonists from Cabotenia and also members of the Stervian ethnic group. The seasonal favourable currents and winds help mantain the weak sea links between Smalik and the new territories. * Stervians, operating out of Islandia, succesfully map the southern coasts of Nuarmia and Melania and the Melanian Channel which separates both continents. They use this knowledge to establish a number of small settlements on those coasts, trading with the native peoples. * 570 BP: Stervian exploration parties slowly venture into the interior of Melania. * 550 BP: Stervians reach what would later become Afrazure. Over the next decades, as the riches of the land were discovered by the first explorers, together with the possibility of enriching with the trade between the various statelets in the region, certain Stervian clans in Islandia initiate a colonization effort in Northern Afrazure. * 500 BP: Despite the long presence, the combined Cabotenian and Stervian population never reaches over fifty thousand settlers all over the New Continents. Goods from Melania and Nuarmia, such as tropical crops, spices, ivory and exotic woods are prized and treated as luxuries or curiosities by the Old World elites. The techniques for trans-oceanic travel and the exact path from Smalik to the New World are kept as a secret by the Stervians and Cabotenians. Second wave (482 BP - 1 BP): the Colonial Empires * Mari'im 482 BP: A Lendian fleet under Admiral Tandro Amarito arrives in the Mari'im islands and conducts a small amount of trade. * 469 BP: With the help of indigenous guides, Stervians found the city of Blakelock. * Malvadorias 451 BP: Admiral Henry D. Elsarina leads a Samuelonian fleet of four ships and make landfall on the island of Elsarina. The island was claimed on behalf of the Samuelonian crown and named after Admiral Elsarina. The Samuelonian fleet made two further stops on the island of Santica (Named after Captain Hugo J. Santica) and the island of Leorward, (Named after Captain Henry T. Leorward) before returning to Samuelonia. * Porto Capital 450 BP: The territory of Porto Capital was extensivelly mapped by navigators from Lendia, Angliya, Estontetso and the various statelets of present-day Solelhada in this period. * 300 BP: The first unified Empire of Afrazure formed. Stervians seem as a small and distinct caste, albeit very influential in the local society, controlling most of the sea trade out of Afrazure and also serving as important counselor for the local emperors. * Gius 298 BP: Samuelonian Captain Edward de Rivers lands on the island of Joos. De Rivers returns in 291 BP and establishes the settlement of Stormshaven. * Xochimechatl 276 BP: Xochimechatl discovered by Lendian explorers, and conquered along with neighbouring islands. * Mari'im 255 BP: The Mari'im islands came to be seen as stepping-stones to a larger and more profitable empire, and the Lendian government placed pressure on the local kingdoms to accept status as "protectorates". * Eastern Delgamia 241 BP: Lendian settlers establish settlements in modern day Eastern Delgamia and Mestonia. * Meerton & Gichadia 240 BP: The islands of Meerton and Gichadia claimed for Angliyan crown by Samuelonian Admiral Edwin de Meerton * Nova Luxa 236 BP: Angliyan fleet led by Captain Johan Tauness land in Nova * Nova Luxa 231 BP: Samuelonian Captain James Owynkurt receives financial support from the East Melania Company, who finance a voyage to Nova Luxa. Owynkurt lands in 231 BP and establishes the settlement of Cape Glory. * 182 BP: In the Empire of Afrazure, during the reign of Masaq I, influential Stervian leaders were established as daams, or dukes, controlling several northern provinces and having hundreds of thousands of indigenous inhabitants as their subjects. In periods of greater decentralization of imperial power, these Stervian leaders act essentially as independent warlords. * San Patricio 209 BP: Angliyan chartered company Zab Bay Company founded, who go on to establish the settlements of Zab Bay, Cape Anna and Greenhaven on the eastern coast of San Patricio. * San Patricio 150 BP: Lendian and Angliyan settlements founded on the eastern coast of San Patricio. Cruisanans settlements founded on the west coast. Manahata Island became a colony of Angliya. * Aros 147 BP: Angliyan colonies founded in Aros. * Ordland 145 BP: Angliyan and Cruisian colonies founded in Ordland * Porto Capital 140 BP: Following the end of the Longerathian Wars, the Kingdom of Angliya started a small colonization programme of what is now the eastern coast of Guetaso, using mainly Moranguese-speaking colonists from its southern province of Morangal (now part of Solelhada). The Colony of Costa da Prata, so named due to the prospects of silver deposits further inland, did grow to roughly 200.000 inhabitants by 20BP, absorbing excess Angliyan population, political refugees from the Longerathian states, while exporting mainly coffee and sugarcane to the motherland, together with small ammounts of gold and silver. * Gius 128 BP: The island is settled by Samuelonian Papaist’s in 128 BP, which was financed by Lord Hugo de Gius, who establishes the Gius Island Company. The settlements of Giustown, Refuge Bay and King Francisco Bay are founded and flourish as integral trade stops. * 100 BP: Stervian-led expeditions start venturing deep into the jungles of Afrazure, decimating hundreds of native villages in order to capture new slaves, which were then transported abroad. From 100BP until the beginning of the Great Plague, Stervian slavers transported 350.000 Afrazurean natives to the Samuelonian colonies of the Malvadorias. Third Wave (1 AP - 296AP): Post-Plague era * The region of Nova Luxa saw huge waves of settlers after 5 AP by Longerathian refugees fleeing from The Plague. Displacing the original tribes from the area, the settlers founded the walled city of Nova Luxa on 15 AP. * The Principality of Nova Luxa was established in 33 AP. Fourth Wave (297 AP - Present): Final decolonization efforts * Collapse of New Merité. * Collapse of the Gronkian colonies. * Collapse of the Free Confederacy of Lendian Republics. Category:History Category:History of the New Continents